A likable champion

ARVIND AARON

WORLD chess champion Viswanathan Anand completed a historic hat-trick of victories, overcoming stiff challenge from strong opponents and winning the Advanced Chess tournament for the third time in a row at Leon in Spain.

Advanced Chess is about evolving a new playing strength in man versus man conflicts with each side using a state of the art computer to lower one's losing probability through a simple mistake, or in chess terms a blunder. Organisers of the tournament call it "The chess of the future." This multi-sponsored event was part of the 14th Chess Festival of Leon, also called the Torneo Magistral of Chess, Leon.

Advanced Chess was invented by Garry Kasparov in 1998 and he played the inaugural match against Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. The young Bulgarian gave the former world champion a run for his money and won the match by a narrow margin after a series of tie-break games.

However, since 1999, when Anand was invited, the event took a new dimension. It saw a player with a natural flair for using them. Anand, who has been using computers since a very young age, studies the decimal changes in the evaluation of programmes very minutely and tries to understand the evaluations that modern day programmes have to offer.

Raw chess strength, the adaptability to knock-out competitions and related blitz tie-breaks, together with the knowledge of handling computers at a high level, helped Anand beat his Latvian-born archrival Alexei Shirov of Spain 2.5-1.5.

Anand's tremendous experience, also being the oldest competitor at 31, aided by his winning ways, gave him the title and the victory was identical to his June 2000 triumph. He had beaten Judit Polgar in the tie-break and Shirov in the finals last year. This year, he beat the much stronger Peter Leko of Hungary and Shirov by a game to spare at 2.5-0.5.

Anand has this ability to raise his level of play in knock-out competitions and his survival skills paid rich dividends in the semi-finals after the score was 2-2. The two blitz games saw electric speed action and the spectators were treated to brilliant speed play.

The event was a four-player knock-out with the semi-finals and finals played over four games. In case of a tie they entered a two-game blitz match with five minutes at direct countdown time. Restricted pairing was made for Anand and Shirov so that they met only in the finals. When Anand knew that he would meet Peter Leko, the Indian shared an unusual stare with his wife and trainer, possibly meaning a tough match and it so happened that way. The arbiter, Joaquim Espejo, who is also the organiser of the Dos Hermanas tournament, did the drawing of lots.

The event did not have announced prize money but the total fund was eight million pesetas (about Rs. 26 lakhs). It was a good motivation for the players since all the three days of action saw sacrificial and aggressive kind of play. Guzman, King of Leon, gave away the prizes.

Debutant Leko matched Anand move for move and only the blitz tie-break separated them. Among the few players who are familiar with Advanced Chess, Anand's record is the best and he is way ahead of Kasparov and Karpov who also tried this variety in the first two years of the competition. Leko had to be credited for defeating Anand in game one of the competition and there was a sense of disbelief since Anand had not lost a single game in Advanced Chess. Leko had an unbelievable debut winning with the black pieces against Anand, but the Indian recovered to play a very nice second game to win with black pieces.

The tools the players received this time was 1,000 MHz speed from the twin processors of Solver. It had a memory availability of 1 Gigabyte and an ability to calculate three million moves per second. The players had to use Chess Base programme and choose either version 7.0 or 8.0. The chess engines available for dual processors are Deep Fritz and Deep Junior. This meant that Anand switched from the British engine, Hiarcs, which he used last year, to Deep Fritz, a German-Dutch programme which he uses at home. The other three players used Deep Junior almost religiously and at the start Anand allocated one engine for each processor and later realised that it was "too much information to process" and stuck only to Deep Fritz.

Deep Fritz is a programme available in the market but is meant for computers with more than one processor and can perform miserably if tried on a single processor computer. The latest version of Fritz for the single processor in the market is 6.0 but 7.0 will be launched at a time when Kramnik faces Fritz at Bahrain in a match in October. The unofficial 7.0 version is available to select elite players and was released in London last year before the Kasparov versus Kramnik match.

Deep Junior won many computer competitions and is the only top programme to enter a super category tournament when it took part in Dortmund last year. It lost a long qualification match to Fritz and the right to play Kramnik. There are rumours that this Israeli programme was kept out on purpose for political reasons since the Kramnik match is to be held in the Arab world. These two chess engines are installed in the majority of the computers used by the top 1000 players in the world.

Having traded defeats, the players were cautious in games three and four and drew with secure play for triggering the tie-break. In game one, Anand was dominating the board and won two pawns. It came down to the clock to decide. Anand had a four to three seconds advantage. Leko moved very rapidly and took no time for his next few moves and when Anand came down to one second, Leko offered a draw. The 21-year old Hungarian said that he made 'short' moves and took less time. Then why did he agree to a draw? "The position repeated about four times," Leko said. Leko's trainer GM Amador Rodriguez, who had predicted a victory, was shocked, and said, "he (Leko) should have won on time." Members of the Anand camp thought Leko's clock was not working. The banging of the clocks by these two players was very loud. One will hear such a sound in the first five minutes at a Chess Olympiad where more than 1000 players compete and make rapid opening moves.

In the second game, black pieces did not stop Anand from playing for a win. Using a passed king rook pawn and ambushing tactic, Anand won the second game quite brilliantly and rapidly as he crushed his young opponent on the board and also did it very quickly.

If speed and the ability to fightback from a deficit score took Anand to the finals, Shirov's ride was strangely a defensive comeback. The tall Spanish player lost the first game after Topalov hunted the black king. Subsequently, it was Shirov who called all the shots. Winning a theoretical second game, Shirov levelled the scores immediately and took the lead in game three when Topalov sacrificed a bishop for attack and paid for it. In the fourth, needing a win with the black pieces, Topalov accepted a good gesture draw offer from Shirov after white established a huge advantage in a major pieces ending and could easily play for a win. Anand versus Shirov finals was a repeat of last year. The players also fought for the FIDE title in December 2000. And, like in all cases, the result was the same: an Anand victory. Irrespective of the scores, Shirov always attempts to win but against Anand it has never worked. He lost the finals last year by 0.5-1.5, at Teheran by 0.5-3.5 and here the match was over after three games at 0.5-2.5. However, by contract, the fourth game was played and Shirov won a consolation.

So, Anand started with a loss and ended with another loss but won the tournament handily with the victories coming in the middle. "It is a great feeling to win it three times," said Anand.

The first game of the finals was drawn after Anand abandoned use of the computer prematurely on reaching a winning position. Shirov's resourceful defensive play in the final seconds saved him from what was thought to be a certain defeat and he managed to draw. Grandmaster Feliz Izeta, who was in the commentary box, said if he were the trainer of the Indian he would beat him up for missing such a winning chance. It should have been a rare case in Anand's career that he missed what appeared a sure win.

In game two, a resolute Anand played so well that he managed to squeeze a win out of a drawn ending with the black pieces to snatch a 1.5-0.5 lead. The third game, as white, was another disaster for Anand as Shirov obtained a winning advantage. Not finding a move which Anand and others saw, Shirov lost his way and the match with a game to spare. At one stage Anand even thought he had blown up his lead and may have to enter another tie-breaker.

Shirov blocked a television camera from filming him after game three and it was certain that the result was playing on him.

Anand said he did not offer a draw before the fourth game but would have accepted one if Shirov proposed since it was only of academic interest to play after the title was decided. Game four did take place and Shirov won a technical rook ending.

The victory keeps Anand's hold over Advanced Chess intact. The reduced time controls of 20 minutes for the whole game and 15 seconds for each move cast a doubt over the quality which Advanced Chess is thought to produce since the players used the computer for not more than 40 seconds.

Both the second games of Anand were good and it seemed that he needed to get started for each game. He is likely to hold on to this title for a longer time although he suffered two defeats this time. When he was defeated in the first game, he was warming up for the event and was trying two engines at the same time. But in the second defeat, he had to fight against his own instincts since he had already won the title with a game to spare.

The reason for the aggressiveness shown by the players this time could be that the matches were four-game affairs and unlike two, last year. It meant they could take relative risk and the players never shied away from them. All the players lost at least two games and this made it evident that it was a tough battle with plenty of fighting spirit.

The younger crop of players such as Leko have abundant computer knowledge and the race in future will be close as others bridge the gap of Anand's lead. Then, at one stage like now, Anand is already the oldest player and will be left with his experience in handling knock-out events. As processors and computer configuration grow in size and feature, players will need less and less time to achieve the chess strength that they have achieved till date.

Leko complimented Anand for his electric speed in the blitz game. He compared him to 'Speedy Gonzales,' and said he could not keep pace with him.

This is Anand's second successive title this year. The player, who excelled last summer, has a major event coming at Mainz when he plays a 10-game match with rival Kramnik.

In 1999, Anand thrashed Karpov 5-1 and kept the title in 2000 by beating Polgar via tie-break and Shirov in the finals. He also played classical chess in Leon in 1997 when he defeated Miguel Illesas. So, Leon has been his best venue in chess so far. Like Kasparov in Linares and Kramnik in Dortmund, Leon belongs to Anand.

When the players were asked for suggestions for next year, Topalov jokingly said, "please invite Karpov and Ivanchuk." Not that they are weak players but because they don't use computers extensively and don't believe much in them.

This is the fourth year of the experiment which is the brainchild of Kasparov. Enthusiasm looks static and the spectator interest is not growing. The regional newspapers such as Diario de Leon gave an extensive coverage but there was not much write-up on the event in national dailies such as El Pais. However, most dailies took the news for their Internet editions which are different from their printed versions. But television channels were excited about the show and even pay channels such as Canal Plus did programmes on the event. The organisers are hoping to conduct the event again next year as they have heard only positive comments from their main sponsors such as Telefonica and Morgan Stanley.

In one such live 45-minute show on June 12 in Madrid before an audience with the finalists, the comedians picked on Shirov for all their jokes.

Five minutes before the show, Shirov finished a bottle of red wine, having asked for white wine, and looked zombie. "Hello Alexei, wake up, wake up," said one of the two casters as the Latvian sank into his seat motionless. Then he was asked how he punched the camera crew in Leon after losing game three. While Anand generally came well in the programme, replying all questions in his comfortable Spanish accent, Shirov, who represents Spain, struggled. "Alexei, go prove to the audience that you are Spanish," one of the comedians said. Alexei walked to the audience and said he lived for some years in Catalunia (Tarragona) but even that is not the real Spain. It sparked a known dislike between the regions, Madrid and Catalan (Barcelona).

Then, in the show, Anand and Shirov were asked to look at each other eye to eye for a long time like a game. Shirov gets distracted by a pretty lady, standing behind Anand and he (Shirov) can no longer maintain the eye to eye contact with Anand. It is a day-time programme which is normally broadcast thrice. Shirov came off as a third comedian as he made his maiden appearance in the show. Anand was in that show in 1998 too when he won the Linares tournament. It is one of Spain's top-rated live television programmes and the players could breathe easy when there was a break for commercials.

The results: Final: V. Anand (Ind) bt A. Shirov (ESP) 2.5-1.5. Semi-finals: A. Shirov (ESP) bt V. Topalov (Bul) 2.5-1.5, V. Anand (Ind) bt P. Leko (Hun) 2-2, 1.5-0.5.

The moves:

GM Viswanathan Anand-GM Peter Leko, Advanced Chess, Semi-finals, game one, Petroff's defence, C42: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c3 f5 10.Qb3 0-0 11.Nbd2 Na5 12.Qa4 Nc6 13.Qb3 Na5 14.Qc2 Nc6 15.b4 a6 16.a4 Bd6 17.Rb1 Qf6 18.b5 axb5 19.Rxb5 Rae8 20.Be2 Ng5 21.Qd3 Qh6 22.h4 Ne6 23.Nf1 Bf4 24.Ba3 Bd6 25.Bxd6 cxd6 26.Qd2 Nf4 27.Bd1 Re4 28.Re3 Nd8 29.a5 Qg6 30.Ne1 Nh3+ 31.Rxh3 Bxh3 32.Bf3 Rxh4 33.Bxd5+ Kh8 34.Qd3 Re8 35.Nc2 Rh6 36.f4 Ne6 37.Qg3 Nc7 38.c4 Nxd5 39.cxd5 Qf7 40.Nce3 Bg4 41.Rb2 Rg6 42.Qf2 Qc7 43.Rb6 Qc3 44.Qd2 Qxd2 45.Nxd2 Rxe3 46.a6 Re8 47.axb7 Rb8 48.Kf2 Rf6 49.Nc4 Kg8 0-1.

GM Viswanathan Anand-GM Alexei Shirov, Advanced Chess, final, third game, Sicilian Najdorf, B92: 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.Nd5 Nbd7 10.Qd3 Bxd5 11.exd5 Rc8 12.c4 0-0 13.0-0 a5 14.Nd2 Nc5 15.Qc2 Nfd7 16.Bg4 g6 17.Bxd7 Nxd7 18.Qb3 f5 19.f3 Bg5 20.f4 exf4 21.Bxf4 Nc5 22.Qg3 Bxf4 23.Qxf4 Qf6 24.b3 g5 25.Qf2 Rce8 26.Rad1 g4 27.Nb1 f4 28.Qd4 Qg5 29.Kh1 Qh5 30.Nd2 Qe5 31.Qxe5 dxe5 32.Rfe1 e4 33.Re2 Kg7 34.Kg1 Kg6 35.g3 f3 36.Re3 Rf6 37.Nb1 h5 38.Nc3 h4 39.gxh4 Kh5 40.d6 Kxh4 41.Rd5 b6 42.d7 Rd8 43.Nxe4 Nxe4 44.Rxe4 Rf7 45.Re6 Rh7 46.Red6 Kh3 47.Rxb6 f2+ 48.Kxf2 Kxh2 49.Rg6 Rf7+ 50.Ke3 g3 51.Rd2+ Kh3 52.Rh6+ Kg4 53.Rd4+ Kg5 54.Rhd6 Rf1 55.c5 g2 56.R4d5+ 1-0.

THERE is only one place which satisfies him. The first place. The role as world champion is not an easy one. Besides admiration and adoration there is also a big expectation from Indians as well as his fans worldwide.

Winning his second tournament of the year, World chess champion Viswanathan Anand has overcome the initial slackness which affects all great champions after reaching a career milestone.

If the success at Merida in Mexico involved risk-taking, here at Leon it came with his usual trademark: speed and fighting spirit.

He is loved so much by the local fans that there was a sense of disbelief when he lost his first game to his former second Peter Leko. Nothing else can inspire a player to win more than defeat itself. That is what he did after the initial setback. It woke him up as he had to readjust to a tournament which saw an unexceptional quotient of black wins.

At his Madrid home, he returned to find a number of interview requests from journalists who did not know his mobile number. "Some of them are trying from January, after Teheran," his wife reminds him. Anand wants the job done and quickly too. "Give them all one day and I will finish them one by one," he instructs his wife who handles his chess life as a manager sometimes. Inside the champion is a nice person with a level-head willing to oblige and help journalists of their various requests and deadlines after checking his own schedule.

He lives in an independent house spread over three floors near Madrid and his work room is naturally the biggest and has minimum of distractions. A large chess set made by the U.S. Chess Federation occupies his large desk and his powerful desktop computer with a flat screen occupies a place towards his left. The champion's work room displays a wide variety of chess books, all the medals, trophies and cups he has received and includes the one he received for winning the world chess championship.

On return from Leon, the Anand couple are thrilled after a peep into the garden. Strawberries have grown in the middle in a place which is normally filled with snow in winter. After south Indian dinner, the couple take a walk from their house to his trainer's place. His trainer since July 1994, Grandmaster Elizbar Ubilava, lives with his wife Nana, two kids and his aged mother. Nana teaches ice-skating and the kids go to school. His son Csaba has a flair for football. "How many goals did you score this season?" Anand asks Csaba in Spanish. The two families speak to each other in Spanish.

Anand checks French Open tennis and the National 'A' chess news on www.the-hindu.com website and also gets to read the weekly, The Hindu International Edition to stay updated with Indian information. He stays awake late in the night like most chess players and reads the Indian news online long before Indians wake up to their newspapers.

Spanish newspapers are full of football and they have no place for other events. "Only now we knew Indians came to Seville, there is no news in the television about it," said Anand. (The Indian badminton squad was in Seville to take part in the World championships). His wife Aruna said, "we should have invited Prakash Padukone and others home."

They hardly have time to celebrate. "Anand's birthday comes during the FIDE World championship, mine and our wedding anniversary come in late June when we are in Germany," says his wife.

It was time for celebration in Leon after the hat-trick of victories. In the usual Chinese restaurant, Anand's wife is already there having ordered food including his favourite hot and sour soup. Anand enters at 8.35 p.m. and rushes with his food. Then, while the main course is served he orders for the cheque and a taxi to go to a television studio for an interview at 8.55 p.m. Upon this, his trainer Ubilava has recently raised the red flag against Chinese food, so any celebration is now divided if it involves the Chinese cuisine. In many cities around the world, Chinese restaurants are the only ones which serve rice of some form.

Now, for the rest of the year, Anand has put Kramnik on the dart board as agenda before he plays him at Mainz in Germany in the most important chess event this year.